NBA’s First African-American Player Visits August 19

Courtesy photo Earl Lloyd, the first African American NBA basketball player, accepts a Marquette University High School basketball jersey after speaking to the student body and faculty on February 2, 2009.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Basketball pioneer Earl Lloyd will return to his hometown and make a special visit to the Alexandria Black History Museum this summer.  
 
On Thursday, August 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Lloyd, the first African American to play in the NBA, will discuss and sign copies of his new autobiography, Moonfixer, at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street.

Lloyd, a star player at the segregated Parker-Gray High School, left Alexandria more than sixty years ago to play basketball at West Virginia State College. In 1950, he and two other players who were black – Nat Clifton and Chuck Cooper – were drafted into the NBA.
 
On October 31, 1950, Lloyd, a member of the Washington Capitols, became the first African American to play in a NBA game when the Caps took the court in their season opener against the Rochester Royals in New York. Within the week, Clifton and Cooper also played in NBA games, and the racial barrier in the NBA fell.

During his career, the 6-foot-5 Lloyd also played for the Syracuse Nationals and Detroit Pistons, scoring more than 4,600 points over nine seasons. He later became the Pistons’ head coach and after retiring from basketball, he joined Chrysler where he was the first African American executive in the Dodge division. In 2003, Lloyd was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The title of Moonfixer (Syracuse University Press, 2009), co-authored by Sean Kirst of the Syracuse Post-Standard, comes from Lloyd’s nickname in college when friends would encourage him to reach up and “fix the moon.” At the signing, Lloyd will share his memories of challenges, experiences and lessons learned on and off the court.

The event also serves as the kick-off for the Parker-Gray School Reunion weekend celebration. The book signing is free and open to all, but space is limited and reservations are recommended. Please call 703.746.4356 for reservations or more information.

IF YOU'RE GOING...

The Alexandria Black History Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street in the heart of the Parker-Gray Historic District and is open from Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more about the museum and Alexandria’s rich African-American heritage, visit www.alexblackhistory.org